Life Under the Sea
by Fae 206
Summary: Alternate Ending. After Ursula is defeated, Eric nearly dies under the water and Ariel is unable to save him. The only way to protect him is for Triton to turn him into a merman. Now as a sea-dweller, Eric has some tough choices to make about his life and how to balance his new life with Ariel and the old life he's used n Ariel help him adjust and what will he need to give up?
1. Chapter 1 - Flipping Your Fins

**AN:** Probably a very overly done story line but I wanted to give it a try 😊 I hope you enjoy. Also, I gave Eric parents since he was a prince and not a king just to add more depth to the story.

 **Life Under the Sea**

 **Chapter One – Flipping Your Fins**

Ariel stared in front of her. Eric had saved them all, brought back her father and the "poor unfortunate souls", defeated the sea witch and now he was dead on the ocean floor. She had tried to move his body but he had died when the ship had impaled Ursula and Triton had already told her that humans could not breathe underwater for very long, even the experienced seamen.

That meant that he had given his life to help her and her home and her family.

She placed a hand over her mouth, how could she have been so stupid? It would have been easier to watch him married to somebody else but this, a limp body that soon the sea bottom would cover. No. She wanted more for him. He had to have more than this.

"Ariel," Triton said as he saw his little girl swim over to the human corpse, blinded through the tears as she swept back his black hair. He had hated humans but he loved his daughter. He swam over to her and placed a hand on Eric's chest. There was a little bit of life left. "You love him, don't you?" he asked and Ariel nodded. "There is one way to save him but please don't hold me responsible for the consequences, Ariel" he told her and the red haired teen nodded.

She watched as her father placed his trident onto Eric's legs and her eyes widened as she saw them morph into a tail. It was a deep royal blue but she was scared of what his reaction might be to becoming a merman. She knew though that this was the only way to save him. He would die before she could have brought him to the fresh air, her father couldn't do anything differently, he wouldn't survive with these injuries, this much loss of oxygen.

Shortly after the spell was cast and Ariel noticed the marks on the side of his neck, the very subtle gills, she placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked at her nervously.

He took her hand in his and blinked into her gorgeous eyes, "Am I dreaming?" he asked her. He tried to stand but it felt as if he were paralyzed from the waist down. "How am I…" he looked around, "Where am I?"

"Eric," Ariel said as she looked at him sadly, terrified of what his reaction might be. "I'm so sorry, this was the only way to save you. I am so sorry. Please, forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" Eric asked, he ran his fingers through her hair, "I…I love you. I mean, maybe it's crazy, we barely know one another but I can feel it. I can feel that you're the girl of my dreams," he looked around again as he noticed merpeople watching them, fish swimming around. What kind of a place was he in? "Are you sure that this isn't heaven?"

Ariel placed a hand on his waist with sad eyes, "Eric, it was the only way that we could save you. There might be a cure or…or we can find out a way to get your legs back," she told him and Eric looked at her confused before taking a look where his legs were and he saw the fish tail. He stared at it in horror before trying to move it, it moved back and forth as he tried to move his legs as if they were one unit. "Eric, I am so so sorry," she told him. "If you hate me…" she trembled and Eric shook his head.

"No, I can't hate you," he said though he was still in shock. He moved the tail again and tried to move up but he had little control. He felt as if he were a toddler struggling to walk although then he would have legs and feet, toes, toe nails. This would take a lot of getting used to.

"Eric, here," she whispered as she threw one of his arms around her shoulders. "Keep time with me, up and down, I'll take you somewhere special to me, somewhere no one else will go," she said as she managed to help with some of his weight. She heard him whispering to himself in order to keep the rhythm and she brought him to her cove.

…

…

Ariel was thankful that Eric was such a strong swimmer and that he had had the upper body strength to make up for the loss of his legs. Still, this must be so strange and frightening to him. She had at least asked to be human, he had never asked to be a merman. Did he hate her for this change to him? "Why don't you sit right here," she said as she got to a large rock on the ocean floor.

She swam in front of him, placing her hand on his blue tail. Her eyes sparkled with her tears and her anxiety about her. "Eric," she whispered as she dropped her head, "I am so so sorry. If I hadn't had met you…" she said nervously and Eric gently cupped her cheek.

"If you hadn't have met me then I would have died," he told her, "at least this way we're still alive. Yes, it's an adjustment but we're together and I'm sure there is something that can be done. Either way, we're both alive and we're together and we're safe. Don't worry so much about me, all right?" he tried to smile and Ariel nodded before swimming over to him and pushing her head into his chest.

"I'm still so sorry that I took your life from you," she apologized and he shrugged.

"Come on, being a merman isn't that bad," he said to her as she watched him nervously, "I've always loved the water and I'm sure that I can get used to it. Maybe this way we can stay together rather than having to be apart. I know that's certainly one thing that I _don't_ want to do," he chuckled but Ariel was scared for him. Would he start to hate her for taking him away from the human world?

She really hoped not.

…

…

"I'll go back to the castle, join me?" the king said to his wife and she shook her head, she took a few steps back and towards Grimsby and Max.

"Give me a little more time," the queen said to her husband, she bowed her head nervously and turned to look at the sea. She had heard what had happened those three days ago and it seemed impossible that her son would turn up but she didn't want to give up hope. She wanted to know if he had somehow survived and was swimming back to them right now. She couldn't lose her little boy. He was meant to be king one day. The king nodded and the queen heard Max starting to bark as if excited about something. He ran forwards and Grimsby watched him as he went over to something in the water, a round ball or something.

"Darn that dog," he said as the queen stopped curiously, "Don't worry, your majesty, I will retrieve him," he said before stopping in the moonlight and he saw that Max was swimming towards the…"Prince Eric?" he asked and the queen started running towards him. "We thought that you were dead, if you come out of the water we'll have the house staff draw a bath immediately to get you warm and dry."

Grimsby paused as he saw the way that Eric was fearfully staring at him.

"You didn't see me, all right," he asked as he appeared to be treading water. "Something happened, something that I…" Eric's eyes widened as he looked at his mother. He hadn't prepared himself for this. He didn't want to risk destabilizing the country rule and he wasn't ready to face rejection. He had been training for three days just to get this close to his home, his mother would disown him if he showed her his condition.

"What do you mean, we didn't see you?" Grimsby asked confused and Eric let Max go back to the shore. He looked at them sadly. "It's such a relief to see you, Eric," he continued and Eric shook his head.

"Not if you saw my condition but please take care of everything for me," he said and the queen took off her shoes and started to walk into the water despite the dress that she was wearing. Eric's eyes widened and he swam towards her. "Mom," he said painfully and swam over to her, exposing the blue tail that made his mother look at him in fear. He stared at her and then turned away disgusted that he had shown her. "I'm sorry."

"I don't understand," Grimsby said but saw the queen kneel down by the shore as she placed a hand on Eric's back, her fingers going over the tail. Without saying another word, she pulled her son to her and gently smoothed his hair. "What happened?"

"I died or would have died, instead I became this…" he told them, "I guess I really was meant to live at sea," he continued and the queen gently pushed his hair back. This was still her son despite his changed appearance.

"I hear you met someone, saved the girl's life. I'm so proud of you," she told him and he kept his head bowed. "Grimsby," she said as Max started to lick Eric's cheek. "Can you do something with the castle, create an opening that is safe for my son to swim into. Make sure that he's safe and protected within our kingdom. I want my son to feel that he can come to his own castle," she said and Grimsby nodded.

"This form…you're not…repulsed by it?" he asked her wanting to make sure. "I mean, the woman I love, this means that I get to be with her. She's a mermaid and her family is kind to me but if I didn't have you and father, then…"

"Eric," the queen whispered as she wrapped him up in her arms, one hand going down his tail gently. "We love you regardless if you've been cursed or not. You are still our son," she said and Max barked in agreement. "I'll let you go back but next time I hope that you can introduce me to that wonderful young woman that you met," she said and Eric nodded. He pet Max again before swimming off into the ocean.

Watching him go, the queen turned to Grimsby. "Make it known that if anyone places my son in any type of danger, they will be brought before my husband and myself. Make sure he gets the best treatment and that you don't judge him for this change. He is still my adventurous and charming boy and prepare a room for him as quick as you are able."

Grimsby nodded, "Good luck, Eric," he whispered as he turned to face the ocean.


	2. Chapter 2 - Cold on the Sand

**AN:** Thank you for having patience in the update of this fic. I know a lot of people were waiting but it got to the top of the list and I had the day off today. I've also updated a fic for Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin today and am excited about my Big Hero 6 fic as well for anyone interested 😊

 **Chapter Two – Cold on the Sand**

Eric had always loved the ocean. All of those times when he was sailing and swimming and just _being_ beside the water had always made him feel thankful for a life that was filled with that kind of wonder but what he was experiencing now made all of that feel as if he was sinking and that the water might as well be a harsh fire, burning him over and over again. No. He just wasn't used to this. He had to think of the positives in his life.

He let his head rest upon the sand as he looked at his tail. He didn't know how he was going to get used to this. Did merfolk just sleep on the sea bed like this? He kept his eyes closed and heard a deep voice above him.

"You who live on the land don't know much about us merfolk do you, although that later description now applies to you as well," he said and Eric looked up at him. He tried to hide the loneliness and longing that he felt. This was a way that he was alive. He should at least be _grateful_ that he was alive.

"I guess not," he said and Triton continued to stare at him. "What do you mean by not knowing? Is there -"

"We do have beds, you know," Triton told him as Eric felt a little bit embarrassed by the way he had spent the night on the seabed. He didn't know how much of land civilization they kept down here. He should have asked. There were palaces, thrones, instruments. Of course they should have beds. "Nobody told you to sleep out here like a beggar, did they?"

"Guess not," Eric replied as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Suppose I just have to get used to the half-fish thing," he looked down. "Thank you," he said before bowing and felt himself struggle to maintain balance in this new body. "For saving my life."

"You are the one that my daughter chose," he told him, "and you risked your own life to save hers, to save all of ours. No sane man has ever stood against Ursula before. Now, I suspect that you are missing your own family. It's only natural."

"I…" Eric froze before sighing, he nodded, "Yes, your Majesty, I…I am."

"Are you willing to protect our kind?" he asked and Eric nodded. "I will try to arrange a way for you to meet the land dwellers," he said and Eric smiled in relief. "Ariel will be awake soon and she'll try to find you. Please follow me to the bedroom that I've set up for you," he said before leading Eric to the palace, making sure to keep an eye on the prince who was still getting accustomed to his tail.

….

….

Ariel awoke to the sound of her sisters gossiping and taking turns to look through a gap in the stone wall. She yawned and stretched out wondering what her sisters were discussing and stretched her arms out. As she did so, Adella swam over to her. "You are so lucky, of course, I'm a bit luckier but you're still _really_ lucky," she told her and Ariel blinked as she tried to figure out what they were talking about.

"That I survived after I did something foolish? That I got to spend some time on land?" she asked and Adella sighed.

"Wake up, Ariel," she grinned, "A prince who used to be human who seems to be really in love with you? I mean, a foreign guy, foreign royalty," she smiled and Ariel looked to her sisters. Was all of this about Eric? She frowned as she heard them talk about how hot he looked and why they should be with him instead of Ariel.

Ariel felt her heart pinch in her chest but she swam over to her sisters and looked through the crack. He was absolutely gorgeous. He had saved her life and Daddy had saved his life by turning him into a merman. She knew why Adella wasn't jealous, the love that she and Stevie shared was an inspiration to her but Ariel had wanted more and Eric could show that to her…or could he.

Ignoring her sisters, Ariel swam out of their bedroom and went into Eric's, careful not to wake him. She swam to sit down on the bed and let her hand gently stroke his cheek. She saw the pained way in which he was sleeping. He hadn't asked for this. He had a family on the surface and he had Max who he might never get to be with again. She heard him start to wake up and she gently let her fingers go through his hair, surprised to find a little sand there.

"You slept on the sand again?" she asked, "I knew that you should have asked Daddy for a bed," she said and Eric reached up to her shoulder.

"I'm really glad that I trusted my instincts," he told her and Ariel looked at him confused. "I'm glad that I chose you," he tried to explain. "You are even more fascinating and wonderful than I originally thought," he watched her and Ariel moved so that she was beside him and felt him pull her in. He had no idea how it felt to have his tail rubbing against her own. Of course, he hadn't been used to having a tail on land.

"I hope that that can be enough for you," she told him as she felt him kiss the back of her head. "Eric, if there's something that I can do, anything that I can do," she said quickly and Eric pulled her closer.

"Stay with me," he told her and Ariel smiled, closing her eyes. She had never been loved by a merman this way and she adored Eric. She knew that they would have gotten married on land and she would have adjusted to being human were this not to have happened.

"I will, I promise you that I will," Ariel whispered. "Is there anything that you want?" she asked and he paused, Ariel flipped around and looked into his eyes. Although they were as gorgeous as ever, they conveyed both loneliness and fear.

"I'd like to see my parents," he told her and Ariel understood.

Ariel nodded before kissing his lips and then pulled back with a blush, "Let's go see them then. Unless, you…"

"I saw my mother last night," he told her and Ariel paused, she looked down sadly. "She's glad that I'm alive, said that she's going to help me and she didn't look disgusted at all. I think that it's safe for me to go back," he said and Ariel didn't want to tell him to stay, she didn't want him to feel locked up. "Maybe you could come with me," he told her and Ariel nodded.

"I'd like to meet them," she said as she placed a hand on his chest. She put her forehead on his shoulder, "I am so sorry, Eric. If this hadn't have happened you would have been safe with your family and in the place that you grew up instead of here."

"That would have been terrible," Eric said as he cupped her cheek. "If that had happened then I never would have met you." Ariel smiled before letting him hold her closer again.

…

…

A lot of merfolk were still afraid of land dwellers and when a rowboat had appeared before them, most of them had fled. This however, had drawn Eric out. He recognized the bottom of the boat and without a word, had swum to the surface. His eyes widened as he saw Grimsby with…his father. He paled as he looked at the king but he saw his father looking at him with love and acceptance rather than disgust.

"Father," Eric gasped as he smiled at Grimsby and nodded his head.

"Eric, what happened to you?" the king asked as he looked under the surface, making out Eric's tail but only the outline of it. "When your mother told me of these series of events, we've arranged an area for you to come back to the palace. We're willing to make all arrangements so that you can even live there."

"Whether you are a human or a merman makes no difference," Grimsby told him as he saw a new kind of maturity in the prince. "We have watched you grow up and species isn't important," he said and Eric looked at his father trying to find if there was any hate in his eyes. It didn't appear so.

"I no longer have legs," he told his father who nodded, having learned that already. "Are you saying that it is still all right for me to be the prince?" he asked and the king nodded.

"That is your right by birth," he told him before his expression softened, "and you will always be my son. No matter the life that you live, you are my only son and I don't intend to disown you," he looked down to the water more closely causing Eric to feel self-conscious, "I've never seen a merfolk's tail before," his dad told him and Eric froze. Was he going to change his mind? Tell Eric that he wasn't to be accepted if he saw it.

"Make room on the boat," he said as something inside of him worried that this would be a trap and they would catch him in a net and make him the meal of the day. Both Grimsby and the king gave him space and Eric managed to pull himself up without the boat capsizing. He saw his father's eyes widen at the tail before he touched it. He saw his boy's fear and wrapped his arms around him.

"We'll have to row back to shore soon," the king told him, "but I am still proud of you, my son," he said as he looked at the tail again. It made his jaw drop that such creatures existed but at that thought, he once again stiffened. His son wasn't a creature.

"Thank you, Father. It was nice to see both of you." Eric told them before diving into the sea again and the king looked after his son mournfully.

"Your Majesty?" Grimsby asked as he studied the king's face and saw a mournfulness and loss. "Are you all right?" he asked and the king nodded as he looked at the ocean again. "I dare say that a tail is quite a new adjustment but…"

"As much as I value you, please do not speak ill of him. Eric is still my son. Anyone in the kingdom who does not accept this about him answers to me. He is to be respected and not mocked or seen as a monster. He is a future king," he told him and Grimsby shook his head.

"I was only going to comment on the magnificence of it," he said and the king paused. "Eric could easily have died."

"Then it's best for all of us that he didn't," the king replied before closing his eyes. As much as those who had known Eric personally wouldn't fault him for this unexpected change, there would be many from their kingdom as well as the surrounding ones that would refer to him as a monster. He only hoped that his son was strong enough to handle them. Still, when it came to protecting Eric, he would do anything in his power to make that possible.

 **End of Chapter Two**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One**

A, J, 0, Guest (x2), Graydarkness, Prom15eToLove, Super Princess Daisy,


	3. Chapter 3 - Legs Are Required

**Chapter Three – Legs are Required**

A few days later, the workers had finished in creating the passageway through the rocks and into the castle. Due to the sensitivity of the project, the workers had been told that they were bound to secrecy about the goings on. Eric was to be guarded and protected for his own safety. People would want to capture mermaids were the world to know too much about them and a merman who was the prince to a human kingdom, that would probably be worth capturing.

This was the first time in which Eric would be going through the passageway and despite wanting for Ariel to stay behind, the redhead had followed him, proving to Eric why he loved her so much. He held her hand as they swam and then came up in what was once a large pool but now was decorated with 'mermaid fantasy' written all over it.

It looked devastatingly poorly thought out compared to the real underwater world but Eric wasn't going to insult anyone. He reached the surface with Ariel following him and swam over to the steps. He had been able to make use of his body now. He knew how to flip his tail to get to where he needed to go but it still haunted him that he had this tail.

"Wow," Ariel laughed as she swam over to see the area where there were different wetsuits, she picked up a bikini top and showed it to him. "I think I prefer what I'm wearing but your fashion is so interesting," she smiled and Eric laughed, shaking his head because of how sweet she was.

His eyes widened though as he saw a friend of his at the doorway. "Hey," he called out before whistling and Max stood up, looking around before barking loudly and running energetically to Eric. He licked his face and pushed his head into Eric's chest as the prince played with his dog. Their separation had seemed to be for too long.

"Hey, boy," Eric smiled as he ruffled the dog's fur, Max got down onto the steps so that Eric could pull him into his arms and give him a huge hug. "I've really missed you. You've missed me, right?" he asked and Max licked him again. Ariel giggled before swimming over to them and Max seemed more excited to see her. Ariel gently reached to pet him.

"Hello again," she said as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to the puppy's head. Max wagged his tail happily and the three of them were left unaware that someone had opened the door a little more. Eric pulled Max closer to him before seeing his mother standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Eric," she whispered as she put her hand over her mouth. Eric felt his body shake and Ariel hid under the water, looking up underneath Eric. She had been really nervous to meet this important woman, she didn't know how good of an impression she could make having been the one to do this to Eric.

Eric looked down at Ariel before seeing his mother get down the steps so that she could sit by him, Ariel hid from her and Eric's mother smiled before pretending to not notice her. "You found your way here," she told him. "I'm not sure how far you can get on land but at least here you can be home. Did you need anything? Is the water temperature okay, we can change it if you need us to and salt, should there be more salt in the water, I'm not sure if mermaids and mermen can live in fresh water or whether it needs to be salt water."

Eric hugged his mother before pulling back, "It's fine. It's wonderful," he told her, "but yes, I won't be able to get very far on land."

Ariel sighed and swam up to the surface. She looked between them before bowing her head and then offered her hand out, "Hello," she said nervously. She was thrilled to be able to meet his mother and a human woman who was going to look out for Eric's best interests but she wondered if there would be anger at her 'stealing him away'.

"Hello, my dear" the queen smiled, "I take it that you're the young woman who saved my son on more than one occasion."

Ariel nodded excitedly before sitting by Eric and he put his arm around her. "Yes, sorry, yes I am. I…I'm really…It's an honor to meet you."

"I can see why my son is attracted to you," the queen smiled and Ariel blushed. "You're taking good care of him, I hope."

"My father and I are, yes. I would never want to let Eric down, I always want to give him anything that I can and I hope that he knows that. Eric nodded in response. "I truly love Eric."

"Her father is -" Eric began and the queen nodded.

"King Triton," the queen nodded, "Someone with an even better reputation than your father," she smiled and Eric looked to Ariel who was thrilled over the way that humans spoke about her daddy, if only he was able to see this.

…..

…..

As the night fell, Ariel saw Eric who was sleeping on one of the beds that had been put down and secured at the bottom of the pool area and she sighed. Humans really didn't understand her world, they only wanted to insert parts of their world into Eric's. Maybe it was time to say goodbye to him but she didn't want for that to happen.

She was starting to feel as if they were in a large box, it was what others might call a fish tank. She could see people checking on the two of them but Eric seemed at peace which meant that Ariel was split between two worlds. She could either wake Eric up or she could just let him be. She sighed, putting a hand on the back of his neck and seeing his gills.

"Are you going to come back to the palace?" she asked him gently and he murmured a response in his sleep.

Ariel sighed, he shouldn't be forced to live a life that was different from his just because of her own mistake. She couldn't forgive herself if she was the root cause to his unhappiness. Ariel sighed and pressed a loving kiss to his mouth. She wanted to see his eyes one more time.

She bowed her head before singing softly to him. Her hand went over his cheek and he looked at her with a smile. She adored the way his eyes shone and though she suspected that he hated it, she loved the majestic blue of his tail. She placed her head next to his on the bed and he wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"If I didn't have you, my life wouldn't be complete," he said and Ariel smiled to him.

"Are you sure that you don't miss it?" Ariel said as she let her hand run through his black hair. He had been human, he was used to a human way of life and she knew that people whispered about him in the merworld. Just as she had shocked people on land, he was a stranger to her culture and her history. She sighed before putting her hand on his chest. "Eric, I just wish that I could make you as happy as you've made me."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked her and Ariel smiled as she watched him. "I'm serious. I love you. You are all that I need to be happy but yes, I do miss it. I miss Max especially. I wish there was a way to take him with us."

Ariel nodded. She missed Scuttle at times. It was only when she went to the surface and he was flying around when she actually could see him. She wished that her father had made the two of them humans but at least Eric could tell her stories of the human world.

She took his hand before looking down, "Eric, if there's ever anything that you need," she said and he looked at her.

"There is something that I need," he said and Ariel took a splash back and looked at him, she nodded slowly and he looked around before picking up an oyster and opening it to show a pearl. "Will you marry me?" he asked her and Ariel through her arms around him.

"Yes. Of course. Daddy will be so excited," she said and Eric grinned. He had to prove to her that she was all that he would ever need.

…..

…..

Despite the sound arguments that Eric was putting up, Ariel had requested that she go to King Triton alone and tell him of their engagement. It was beyond obvious that he would do this, right? He hadn't needed to go to Triton first, right? Eric sighed and thought about Max. It was a shame that the dog who had been such an important friend to him would have to stay behind.

Still, now that he could use his tail there was a lot of the world under the sea that he could explore. No wonder Ariel loved exploring so much, swimming through the rocks and reef uncovered so many mysteries. He paused as he saw a dark purple light leading down a cave.

He shouldn't go down there, right? He was a fresh merman and he still needed to match the strength that he had had as a human but he had always been one for adventures. He followed the lights before feeling that there was ice trapping him from going back.

He should have stuck with his gut and decided that this was a bad idea and never have come this way. If only he had protested a bit more as Ariel told him that she wanted to see her father alone. Eric looked down at what appeared to be glass and his eyes widened as he could see there were eyes watching him and he could swear he heard the faint sound of that sea witch singing.

He got to a large rock in the middle of the cave and felt as if his gills weren't working. He placed his hands on the rock before seeing fragments of the crown that she had worn. Had this been the final resting place of the witch's – of Ursula's – body.

Eric felt a piece of seaweed tie him to the rock before the seaweed appeared at all angles and wrapped in tighter and tighter until he lost consciousness. All that he could see was that of this majestic blue tail there was what appeared like two purple streaks down the side. He put his hand out and saw that there was a purple ball in his hand. He flicked it away and saw it strike a stone before crumbling the structure.

What was happening to him?

This didn't feel like something that every merfolk went through. Was this the sea witch getting revenge over him for ending her life? He lost consciousness again.

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are loved**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two**

Guest (x3), Guest91, ScholarX

 **Author Response**

I'll make sure to add more about the sisters in that case 😊


	4. Chapter 4 - What Would I Pay?

**AN:** Ursula's curse will be expanded upon next chapter 😊

 **Chapter Four: What Would I Pay?**

Eric could feel the strange power from within trying to choke him but as he struggled to breathe through the new gills, he could feel that he was gaining power over it. It was as if he had tasted something bad and that coldness was flowing through his body. He let his cheek rest on the ocean's bottom. He loved the ocean and he loved Ariel both of those things he had to remember.

He could remember the feel of the sand between his toes when he was a kid, he could remember it when Max was a puppy and how dirty he had become and how Max was a true friend to him. It was a little hard to feel that he wasn't alone right now.

As Eric lay with his eyes closed, trying to maintain a steady breathing rhythm, he could hear a familiar voice that still made him feel haunted. It was that sea witch that had started all of this madness. He felt something sting his chest and then saw a clam shell that was black but had a glowing purple pearl within it.

"Well, it's you…land dweller," he could hear the shell say to him and he put an arm around his stomach as he looked at it. "I guess the pain must be agonizing since you're not used to such a thing. That's okay though. Without agony you can't experience the joy in life. I always think that saying fits quite well," she laughed and Eric struggled to get up.

"You're dead," he whispered as he looked around where her home had been. She was dead, right? He had stabbed her gigantic body with an old boat and risked his life so she was no longer able to take advantage of anyone. She _was_ dead, right?

"I might be dead but you'll soon learn that sometimes the dead are not forgotten and I was doing a rather noble job, if you do ask me," she told him and Eric coughed, his body felt heavy and he reached a hand out only to find black smoke coming from them. He put them down in exhaustion and looked at the shell.

"The dark magic has to be concealed in one ocean dweller and boy, you've gotten lucky," she said before Eric felt the pain in his heart again and felt himself fall forwards as the blue tail had what looked like a cobweb spreading all over it. "A freak to all who live. That's the punishment that you get. A life of loneliness," she told him and he struggled as he felt something sweeping over him as if trapping him in a bubble. He opened his eyes trying to use his knowledge of the ocean and of sailing to anchor him to reality – whatever that word "reality" meant anymore.

…..

…..

"Daddy, he asked me to marry him," Ariel said with a huge smile on her face and Triton looked at her with a weak smile. This man had decided to live with the merfolk despite his presence as a prince on land and he had done that to save everyone from Ursula and to continue his deep love for Ariel. He should be happy and try to see this match as if they were both the same.

"And I expect that you said yes, now it would have been polite if he had asked me permission first," Triton said and Ariel sighed. She didn't want there to be a wall between her and her father again. That had been hard to deal with the first time and she wouldn't take her father's side against Eric but she would never oppose him either.

"I love him, Daddy," she said and Triton turned to her.

"I will allow this but I want for you two to wait one full year before you even start to set a date. That will give the two of you time to know each other and time to know your differences," Triton told her and Ariel grinned. Maybe there were differences about their birth and how they had grown up but now they were together and she didn't want to be away from him.

As they said that, a flash of lightning could be viewed over the palace and it looked as if a purple beam of light was separating the ocean. Ariel stared at it and wrapped an arm around her waist. It reminded her of Ursula but there was no way that she was alive, she had seen it happen and she had seen how heroic the man she loves is. She turned to Triton who was staring at horror at the sky.

"Your Majesty," Sebastian said as he observed the light as well, "What does this mean?"

"It means…" Triton said sadly, "that some young merfolk has been chosen to possess the otherworld magic, this is not good. I should have sealed that area up myself. I've been foolish to leave it open," he said angrily and Ariel looked at him nervously.

"You mean that you think someone else is under her control, she's gone…you don't think that she has an evil sister that we don't know about?" she asked and Triton looked aside, not wanting to comment on that. Ariel had the feeling that it wasn't to do with any crazy sisters this time.

"Sebastian, send my guards to check it out," Triton ordered. "There is only one way of dealing with this individual."

"Total banishment," Sebastian nodded and Ariel had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was wrong. No. She had been by Eric's side just a moment ago, it would be too convenient for him to get hurt in that short time they were separated. Ariel looked to her father and then turned, no, she had to get her thoughts collected and think calmly. No, it wasn't Eric. It couldn't possibly be Eric.

…..

…..

Something was wrong and it wasn't getting better. Despite going back to the area in which they had last been together, Ariel couldn't find out where Eric had swum off to. He was still getting used to life under the sea, he didn't have favorite spots to go and he didn't even really have proper friends. He knew some sea dwellers but he was alone and isolated from everyone. He would wait somewhere for her if he told her that he would.

Ariel tried to search again, she could feel the darkness from the outside world start to shift the surface of the water but he wouldn't go out above by himself right? Ariel closed her eyes before starting to swim to the surface, before she could get very far though she felt Attina's hand on her and looked over to her sister surprised.

"Ariel," Attina said firmly and Ariel tried to steady herself and looked into her sister's eyes. There definitely felt like there was something that had gone wrong. "You need to calm down. You don't need to go anywhere or do anything, things are the way they are for a reason. You should have known better, you should _know_ better."

Ariel looked at her sister confused. Attina was sometimes hard to get along with because of her pride and the fact that she was the heir to the throne but there was something darker and more important happening.

"What are you talking about?" she asked and Attina sighed.

"I know that you think that you love him but Ariel, you don't really know what love is and I'm sorry but…did you really expect any other outcome from this. Of course, he'd be easy prey. He's the prince from the surface, a lot of people are scared of the surface," Attina tried to reason with her but Ariel looked at her with even more confusion on her face.

"Why are you saying this about Eric?" the younger mermaid asked as she tried to study Attina's facial expression. Was her sister really telling her to move on from Eric and find someone else because he came from the surface and used to be human. "He put his life in danger to save us. He might not have been born as a merman but he's not a bad guy."

"You need to find someone else," Attina said harshly and Ariel looked at her sister in horror. They were sisters, they were supposed to love each other and care about one another. This wasn't the familial love that Ariel felt comfortable with.

"Where is he?" Ariel asked with a fire burning in her eyes. He was the prince that had saved her, the prince that she had given her voice for and loved so much that she had endangered her own world trying to get to him, why couldn't she be with the prince that she loved?

"Facing the judgment of execution," Attina said honestly and Ariel felt everything within her run cold. That's what they did to criminals and Eric wasn't a criminal. He was the sweet and fun loving guy who had rescued her and had protected their world. "You can't save him, it's too late. We'll restrain you if necessary," Attina said before calling over the guards.

"You don't have enough force in the entire ocean to stop me from getting to him in time," Ariel said before swimming away as fast as she could. Maybe fins and a tail weren't the ideal transportation but it didn't matter, a determined heart was what motivated her and that was worth more than anything.

….

….

Ariel knew where the prisoners were taken and she had known this for a long time and yet she had never felt the need to sneak in and learn the inner workings of their entrapment. She wished that she had now. She wished that she had done whatever would have been helpful for saving Eric. She swam around the area and then saw a door with a black gem glowing on it. She had seen various things around Ursula when she had met her. What was this?

Ariel swam over to the door and lightly grazed her hand over the gem, she pulled back as she felt the sting but it was as if she had been stung by a nontoxic jellyfish, something that would hurt a little bit but she knew wouldn't kill her. She looked around the opening before moving a stone away from the door and then swam in, closing the door behind her.

She could see him chained up, his tail looked like someone had slid ink all over it but in a more occult way. Ariel felt her heart tense as she swam over to him. He looked sick and that concerned her. "Eric," she whispered to him and saw him open his eyes weakly. He had slashes all over him where it looked like he had been whipped.

He hadn't been living under the sea for much time at all and this is what they had decided to do with him. It was the palace's fault for letting him be out by himself without knowing the dangers of the ocean. It was her fault for leaving him. She put a hand to his chest and found him to flinch so put her hands to his cheeks and he looked at her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and Ariel quickly shook her head.

"You have _nothing_ to feel sorry for," she said in a determined manner before letting her fingers slide through the black strands of hair. She could see that there was a slight purple hint to his gorgeous blue eyes. She had done this to him and it was pathetic of them to treat someone this way. Had her Daddy known about the way he had been treated.

"I'm going to get you out," she told him and Eric shook his head.

"Please go," he whispered and Ariel refused as she tried to find a way of breaking the chains which held him. "Forget about me. I can't control this power, it's better if they kill me rather than I do harm to any of you."

Ariel looked at him, her heart pausing before she put a hand to his neck and whispered a spell, kissing him passionately. She pulled back feeling the split of magic between them and Eric's eyes widened as he saw that her hair now had a few black strands to it. Had she taken the power on herself. "We're in this together," she said and Eric still felt himself under the control of the curse but at least his head wasn't foggy anymore.

They could actually do some good with this dark magic after all.

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three**

Guest (x2), Guest91, MeganLyle, sailorsenshi13, ScholarX, Super Princess Daisy,


	5. Chapter 5 - Wanderin' Free

**Chapter Five – Wanderin' Free**

Eric looked at Ariel feeling heartbroken for her. They had escaped to somewhere far away from the capital but Eric knew that for so long Ariel's friends and family had been her only support. He hoped that he was good enough for her, that he was enough for her.

"What have I done?" Ariel asked as she looked at her hands and thought about her past. She didn't want to become like Ursula. She didn't want to hurt anybody and yet she was cursed with this magic now. She didn't know how to control the black magic but maybe even dark magic could be used for good.

"I would have understood were you to let me die. You have certain status here, you're very important to your father," he said and Ariel took steady breaths. She didn't want to talk about her father. For so long, her father had been her hero but the idea that he could have executed Eric for something that wasn't his fault made all of those emotions so much more complicated.

"I never could have forgiven myself were that to happen," Ariel said. She wrapped her arms around Eric and let the end of her own tail curl around his. He had already given up his legs to be with her and to be alive with her. She didn't want to see him killed for something he hadn't meant to happen. He had saved them all. He had definitely played a huge hand in getting rid of Ursula. Ariel was just begging she didn't become her.

"Eric, there are certain things about us merfolk that it's better that you know," Ariel told him and Eric laughed weakly.

"I was starting to think that," he said and Ariel paused. She didn't think he did know but it wasn't worth explaining to him about her eggs and the fact that her body was preparing for her to have children with him close to her. If they were on land then this would be easier.

"Will you still love me with these dark powers?" Ariel asked nervously and Eric could see how young and innocent she still was. He wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"I will love you no matter what, I will stay with you for however long you need me to," he said as he showed how much love he truly had for her.

Ariel felt her eyes fill with soft tears and she nodded, "Thank you," she whispered and Eric pressed loving kisses to the top of her head. He would be with her no matter what. He knew that she was the girl he was intended to share his life with.

…..

…..

Triton paused as he felt his body getting paler. He looked to where Eric had been and realized that once again, he had played his part of the ruler of the oceans too well. He wouldn't have gone through with actually landing the killing blow on that human because Eric had done something that had saved everyone. He had been the one to use a ship as a weapon and stop a war. Triton was just going to cage him somewhere until the magic could stop even if he had to do it without anyone else knowing.

"Your Majesty?" Sebastian asked as he swam over to him, "I think we should be under the impression that your daughter must have…"

"I know," Triton sighed and closed his eyes, "I do realize that Ariel would have saved him and I do know that I will have to put up whatever protective barriers I can in order to keep her safe. If she's taken on the curse of the sea witch in which to save him."

"Yes, love often makes young girls foolish," Sebastian commented and Triton stared at him in shock. Was that _all_ that Sebastian was going to say on the matter. Ariel could have developed powers that, if not properly controlled, could lead to great harm and suffering for others. "I think that they aught to be free though, stupidity is the first step to wisdom."

"And my daughter becoming a sea witch is of no interest to you. We need to find her," Triton said before shaking his head and took steady breaths. "No. We need to track her down, speak some reason into her. Into both of them."

"Because that's the meaning of young love," Sebastian added and Triton continued to look at him as if Sebastian was speaking a completely new language.

"Because I believe that even the darkest magic might have some use made out of it," Triton said and Sebastian sighed.

"I'll go and instruct the guards on your orders, Your Majesty," Sebastian said with a salute and Triton paused. Even though she was his daughter and a princess, Triton had a feeling that were the wrong guards to be involved, they might perceive Ariel as a threat and harm might come to her because of two men not thinking things through. This was one of the most delicate situations that he had ever faced.

"I'll go, make sure that Attina is prepped in case something happens, I'm trusting you to stay with her," Triton said and Sebastian offered up a shaky nod in response. Triton swam away. He would need to find out how to hide his trident but he had to meet his daughter and talk some sense into them. He felt terrible for the way he had treated Eric but it had been necessary for Atlantis. Hopefully he could persuade the two of them to return home without the threat of death they were both thinking of.

…..

…..

Eric kept seeing Ariel swimming back and forth and attempting to put on an act, a show that said that she was all right when clearly she wasn't. If Eric had to guess, he would say that Ariel had never felt so out of place during any of her life she had spent under the ocean shore. "I'm sorry," he told her and Ariel quickly turned to him. "I'm sorry that I was there that day, that I had an urge and a need to find you, that I put you through all of this. If any of this could have been stopped just because you -"

"I was already in love with the human world before I met you," Ariel tried to tell him and Eric looked at the purple scars that were attached to her tail. "I already had grand plans of leaving and living a life as a human but I felt that it would be impossible outside of a fish tank," she said and Eric's eyes widened as he heard that.

"Of course, I didn't really know what a fish tank was until I met humans but I felt that I would be on show. I didn't stop dreaming though. I didn't stop hoping that it would be true." Ariel said and Eric grabbed her hand.

"We need to go somewhere we have support," he told her and Ariel nodded slowly. Of course she agreed with that but she wasn't too sure what _he_ meant by that. "I don't know if we can trust your parents but…"

"But we can trust yours," Ariel said as she felt a little nervous. They were risking a lot in their current states. They were risking humans who didn't understand merfolk to begin with having to understand something about dark sea magic that even merfolk didn't understand and they didn't accept. Even her father hadn't been considerate to them.

"I think so," Eric said and Ariel flipped her tail in front of them. Eric followed her and soon they were in the water to the swimming pool of the palace. Eric sighed as he let himself finally relax and Ariel turned to look for food. Maybe they were safe here. She saw how exhausted Eric was and pushed his hair back.

Ariel placed a soft kiss on his forehead, "You stay there, okay?" she asked before swimming around and went to the surface. She heard Max's loud barking as he ran over to them and then looked down at the bottom of the pool. His excitement grew as he saw Eric there but grew more concerned and attempted to get into the water. Ariel realized how weak he was and pet the large dog. They were too weak to be together right now but at least Max could watch over him.

"Hey," Ariel said gently and heard the barking noises, "Do you think you could get someone for me, boy?" she asked and Max wagged his tail before turning back to Eric and whining sadly. Ariel pet his fur hoping to provide some comfort for him. "Thank you," she said before hearing familiar footsteps.

She took a deep breath in trying to decide whether being honest was best. She didn't want to turn against her father and sisters but it had seemed that they had turned against her. She watched Grimsby as he appeared and felt herself flinch. Her eyes widened as she realized how her body had moved on its own. She used to be a lot more trusting.

"Princess," Grimsby said as he saw that her hair had changed, her tail had changed, there were even these scars on her skin. "What happened? Is there anything that I can d-"

"We need to stay here, someplace safe," Ariel told him before looking down. "I mean. I hope that's okay. I usually try to do things for myself so I'm not used to asking but I'll ask for his sake," Ariel looked at Eric who seemed even more exhausted. Grimsby knelt down and could see through the water how much pain he was in.

"Does he need medicine?" Grimsby asked her and Ariel sighed.

"I don't think that there is medicine that is able to cure _this_ ," she gestured before sighing. "All he needs is for a safe space to be. He got affected by a dark curse and my father, the king, the king in honor of our kingdom," Ariel said guiltily.

"Suggested banishing him?" Grimsby asked and Ariel wiped a tear that had slipped down her cheek. "Imprisonment?"

"I think that they meant to kill him, punish him by killing him. Eric didn't choose this curse and I don't want him to die. I don't know what to do," she whispered and Grimsby reached out to touch her arm and Ariel flinched again.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he looked in pain down at the merman. "They did this to him and now they are going after his life."

Ariel nodded and Grimsby turned to her. Neither of them knew that Triton was on their way to them or the misunderstandings Eric's parents would have about the conversation. They didn't have much time to think though as Max had jumped into the middle of the pool and was trying to get Eric to wake up. Ariel quickly swam to him.

Losing Max would do just as much as physically killing him would.

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four**

Guest (x3), Guest91, Megan Lyle, MermaidRaven, sailorsenshi13, TheGhostBird


	6. Chapter 6 - If I Could Live

**Chapter Six – If I Could Live**

As Ariel let her arms go around Mac's wet fur, she closed her eyes and tried to pull him away from Eric and to the side of the pool where Grimsby was waiting. "I really wish you could stay with us," she told him before feeling Max go limp in her arms and she looked at him with great concern. She put a hand on his cheek and touched his ear but then saw purple light on her fingerprints.

"I'm sorry," she started to sob, panicking over the idea that she had killed Max. Eric would never forgive her if she hurt him and Ariel didn't know how to solve this. She didn't really know much about do- her eyes widened as she felt something strange under her fingertips and heard Max's breathing again.

"Are those…" Grimsby asked as he looked closely and Ariel pulled back.

"Gills, they're gills," she said before the white fluffy dog, jumped up and then went into the water, swimming to the bottom and seeming perfectly fine with it. Ariel felt the tears in her eyes as she put a hand to her mouth. Had she done that? She looked at them nervously, Eric with his head still on the bed that was down there.

Max paddled over to his owner who had been there with him since he was a tiny puppy. He could breathe under the water. That meant that he could be with Eric again. He nudged him with his nose and licked his cheek as he saw Eric weakly open his eyes.

"Max, good boy," he said in a half sleepy manner before his eyes widened. "Max! Oh my god, boy! We have to get you to the surface. You can't be dow-" Eric paused as he saw the gills, as he saw how happy Max was despite him being at the bottom of the pool. "How are you down here?"

Ariel offered a smile to Grimsby before she swam down to the two of them. She sat next to Eric and placed a hand on the top of his shoulder. "I knew how much the two of you wanted to be together. I hope that you're not angry abou-"

"Angry?" Eric asked as he wrapped his arms lovingly around her and Max pushed his forehead to Ariel's chin affectionately. "This is…thank you. Thank you for understand how much we need each other," he said as he ruffled Max's fur before pulling Ariel towards him, leaning closer to kiss her. "And how much _I_ need you." Eric winced as he felt a pain in his body and Ariel guided him to where he could rest.

Ariel lay down next to him, watching him and letting her tail run over his in a very sexual manner for merfolk. She felt much older than her years but she was happy. Being with Eric made her happy. "Eric," she whispered to him, she let her hand rest against his well-defined chest and spread her fingers out. "Do you think that you'll be happy living under the sea?" she asked and Eric nodded.

"As long as I'm with you….I'll be happy anywhere," he said, too weak to open his eyes fully.

"And…and Max…"

"Max will be happy, he's a good boy," Eric replied before looking at Ariel, "You…you don't have a problem with Max, right?"

"He's fun and cute and I'll never have a problem with him," Ariel giggled as she pet the sheepdog who was still bouncing around energetically. "I just…would you ever want to have children?" she said and Eric paused, turning to her in surprise. Ariel paled. She had thought that he wanted them before this whole mess started, was she just imagining that.

"Of course," he told her and Ariel held onto him. She loved him so much and she knew that they would be able to spend many many years together. Ariel hadn't even noticed that Grimsby had left. She held onto Eric lovingly. Hopefully nothing else would go wrong.

…

….

It was a bright golden light that made Ariel open her eyes and she heard Max barking at someone who had come into this large 'fish tank' or sorts. As her eyes readjusted to the light, Ariel moved so that she was positioned in front of Eric. She stared at her father. Due to his dislike of most humans, she hadn't expected for him to come here and try to take her back with him.

"Ariel," Triton said sounding relieved that he was in front of his young daughter, "Thank goodness, I've found you."

"Daddy," Ariel said as she raised her chin looking at him defiantly, "I'm not coming back with you. I refuse. If you've come all this way to kill us then we'll fight," she said and Eric opened his eyes before staring at the king of the ocean and getting up slowly. Ariel swam in front of him again. "I won't let you kill him."

"I never _wanted_ to kill him," Triton attempted to tell the mermaid, "There are certain laws that the kingdom has to abide by."

"Eric didn't grow up this way," Ariel argued and Triton stared at her and how she had now held to one of Eric's hands whilst continuing to block the young prince from his view. "He saved our world. He loves me. He was happy to live as a merman and be with me. Still he's new to being a merman. He's new to our world and our customs and out _laws_. He didn't break those laws on purpose."

"Ariel!" Triton yelled before Ariel felt Eric able to slip out from behind her, he kissed her cheek.

"Ariel, please," he said before facing Triton. "If I could speak," he said and Triton nodded. "I don't know very much about what is under the surface of the ocean and since I became this way, I've learned a lot more but I'm not going to pretend to know a lot. I would never do anything to hurt any other merfolk. I would never do anything purposefully to offend you. I most definitely wouldn't do anything to cause harm to Ariel or her loved ones. I don't know what happened and I ask your forgiveness for that," he bowed and Ariel shook her head, her view going between her father and her love as if Triton might actually kill him.

"I want to be able to live a happy life with Ariel. That is my only desire. I will live by whatever customs and laws you wish for me to follow. If you want me banished then I'll live here. My parents have already accepted me and accepted us. I know that Ariel will be happier able to return to her home as much as possible," Eric said and Triton paused. He knew he should have given the former human some more time and more understanding. He was speaking honestly and he wasn't some damn dirty human.

"Maybe we can…figure something out," Triton said before hearing a loud sound from above them and looked up to see two dozen men with weapons pointing straight at them. "You never said that there would be weapons," Triton said as he felt nervous about his own safety.

"I didn't know, let me address them," Eric begged and Ariel grabbed to his arm.

"Eric, you're weak…you need to rest," she said and Eric shook his head.

"I need to do this. They won't shoot me. I thought my parents ordered there to be no guards," he said before he swam up to the surface. He stared at his father and realized that he knew nearly all of the men gathered. "Father," he said as he made sure to keep his upper body above the water. "What is all of this? We don't need this. I request that you cease fire," he said with the passion in his blue eyes.

"If your safety is in danger, I will do all that is in my power to keep you safe," the king said and Ariel gasped. She shook her head. She hadn't meant for this to happen.

"My safety is fine. I am okay," Eric told them. "It was a misunderstanding. Please, don't fire. I don't want a war to be started," he said before the king ordered one of the guards to shoot a harpoon at Triton. Eric saw this and swam in front of the merman before feeling something strike his back and he lost consciousness. Ariel gasped and saw the shock on Triton's face. Had he killed him?

Ariel tried to blink back tears as Max went over to where Eric's body fell. She felt frightened standing there in front of them but she had to try. "Please," she said as she felt a burden meant for someone older on her shoulders. "Allow my father to cure Eric. Give me some time. We can talk about this as civil individuals. Just give me time to help Eric and heal him. That is what both you and I care about," she requested and the king nodded before rushing to the side of the pool.

He stared at Triton with great dislike as Triton glared back at him. He then looked around for Eric, unable to see his body. "Eric," he whispered as his hands touched the side of the pool, he couldn't see him. Eric's father turned to Ariel, "He's here, right? Eric is here and alive? Or you transported him somewhere, somewhere he can get proper health care?"

Ariel took a deep breath in, she didn't know _what_ had happened but they needed to figure it out quickly before more danger could take place. Her eyes widened as she saw Max and right next to him was a polyp. She stared at her father with wide eyes. He couldn't have, could he?

The king was looking at her desperately and she had no reply. How could she even begin to explain this?

 **End of Chapter Six**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Five**

Blondie 2000, MermaidRaven


	7. Chapter 7 - Out of These Waters

**Chapter Seven – Out of These Waters**

Ariel looked at the polyp and gently reached out for it. She paused before glaring at her father as Triton tried to come to terms with the situation. He hadn't meant to do that. He hadn't meant to turn the human who had risked his own life to save both his daughter and their kingdom, despite how he had to fight against a giant octopus-woman, into a polyp. He must have done something wrong because of his anger. He stared at Ariel who had swum up to the slimy creature and Triton got chills remembering how he had been that way, stuck in Ursula's garden.

"Eric?" Ariel asked as she gently let her fingers touch the top of the polyp who was craning his neck towards her. He nodded and Max swam over, nudging Eric's new form with his nose very gently and then whining.

Ariel took some deep breaths in as she remembered how she had become this way. She was supposed to be a dark mermaid or sea witch or something, she was supposed to be banished from the kingdom, but for her father to do this to the now merman that she loves.

"How could you, Father!?" she yelled at him before gesturing back to Eric, "He has done _nothing_ to deserve that. I shouldn't have left him alone in the water because I knew he had very little knowledge of our world. He followed something that would interest anyone, even the most experienced merfolk and he got caught in a trap. Then you try to imprison him and now this. This is unforgiveable!" she yelled as she felt her heart break.

She saw the king, Eric's father, start to get near to the water. His eyes were wide in horror at what was before him. This creature…this couldn't be his precious son, could it? Eric was only a boy. He had so much of his life to live but not like this.

"Tell me," Eric's father said as he looked between Triton and Ariel before his gaze settled on Ariel. "Please tell me that that is not my son."

Ariel bowed her head, her red hair moving around her face and she went to the surface again. Max had curled up next to the polyp and was whining in a very sad manner. Ariel rubbed her eyes before nodding. "I am so sorry," she whispered. "I will do anything to bring him back. I'm not going to give up on trying to bring him back."

The king shook his head again in disbelief, he refused to acknowledge that Eric had turned out this way, that that was his son. He stared at Triton, pointing a finger at him. He was both the king and Eric's father, he had enough power to threaten some magical underwater king. "Turn him back, now!" he ordered and Triton stared at him.

"I can't do that," he admitted and the king stared at him again, what couldn't he do?

"You refuse to do that!?" the king said and Triton remained silent. He didn't want to admit that he couldn't because he didn't understand how he had done it in the first place. He nodded his head and the king narrowed his eyes. "This means war. I hope you know that. Until my son is restored, it means that we are at war."

Ariel closed her eyes, she had hoped that this wouldn't happen but she understood. Her father was the same, if a human had done something to her he might have declared war against them. "I would like to remain here," Ariel said as she looked pleadingly at Eric's father. "Please?" she begged again and Triton waved his scepter before seeming to vanish.

Ariel turned back to the place where her Daddy had been. "Please? Eric is what is important to me. Please don't make me turn my back on him," Ariel pleaded and the king's expression softened.

"You promise to protect him?" he asked and Ariel nodded honestly. "Then I will allow you to remain," he said and Ariel nodded again before her tears fell down her face. Eric had done nothing to deserve this. He loved her unconditionally and she felt the same. She swam down to him and as close as she could, she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry," she said feeling a sense of warmth as the polyp moved towards her, craving her. She knew that when she and her father had been this way, there had been full understanding and they could interact with one another despite one being a mermaid.

With tears in her eyes, she cried painfully wishing for some way of reviving him, restoring him. As she cried, she felt a part of her burning inside and it was almost as if she had a bubble inside of her and was going to start suffocating. She saw her hands glowing and then heard Max barking with excitement. She felt something in her arms and blinked in shock as she could see the merman Eric again. Had she done this?

She pulled back. He was unconscious but he was a merman again. She knew that he needed a doctor, someone to take care of him but she hadn't made him human. She looked up at the king who had stepped away before swimming up to the surface. "I need your help, I'm sorry to ask for so much," she said before the king immediately came over to her.

"Is he? Did something happen? I don't know what kind of crea-" he was about to say before seeing Eric's merman body, his skin was so pale that the king could see every vein in his body and he looked so limp and weak. The king immediately took off his shoes, jacket, and crown and got into the water without Ariel being able to protest these actions. She felt that being a mermaid, she could help him more.

The king reached down to grab Eric's body before feeling him to be incredibly cold, almost frozen but he could see the gills working, he could feel a pulse. With Ariel's and Max's help he managed to pull him out of the water. He was extremely careful of his tail but even that was paler than it had been before. "Will it cause any harm to keep him out of the water?" the man said as he got out and then hoisted his son out as well.

Ariel let her fingers go over Eric's forehead and through his hair, she blushed as she felt the strands of hair against her hand. "He won't be able to move very far," she told him honestly and the king nodded, "but as for anything else, he'll be safe on land. He might need to have some water put onto him, maybe with a sponge, every so often but he'll be able to survive."

The king nodded before looking at Ariel, he smiled sadly. "Thank you," he said and Ariel nodded. She watched the king safely bring Eric over to a blanket, holding him like a child and then wrapped a blanket around him in an attempt to keep him warm. The king then turned to Ariel. "I will think of a way to keep the two of you together," he tried to reassure her and Max whined again. Was Eric able to survive all the strain and pressure his body had gone through?

ArErArEr

Five days later, Eric finally woke up. He felt something cold brush against his face that reminded him of when he had been sailing on the top of the ocean rather than swimming underneath it. As he opened his eyes he saw it clear and realized that he had to be on land. The daylight was blinding against his eyes and he tried to move his leg. He only flapped his tail. Okay. So he was still a merman but somehow had been transported to land? Was this for his own protection? Where was Ariel, was she also confined to a bed.

As he tried to turn, using his hands to pull himself up to a seated position, he heard a barking and then the sound of water. Along one side of the wall was a large tank and Max was swimming in there. He reached out for the merdog but he was too far away from him. Eric tried to move closer to him but felt himself lose his balance and fell onto the floor, his tail flipping about as he struggled to move from his position.

He sighed and rolled over to get closer to his friend and reached his hand up, Max licked it happily but his whines proved he wanted to be closer to Eric. It was at this point that they heard the door open and heard Carlotta whistling to herself carrying a bucket of water. She stared at the bed before her eyes widened in shock and ran towards the empty piece of furniture. "Eric?" she asked before seeing the prince on the ground. He stared up at her. "Oh, thank the heavens that you're awake," she said as she bent down next to him.

Eric watched her. He didn't remember her knowing about this form but if she had been taking care of him, she would have found out about it. "Hey," he said weakly. "Can you give me a little help?" he asked before rubbing his head. For some reason he felt extremely cold. Carlotta bent down and was able to scoop him up and bring him back to the bed.

Carlotta reached into the bucket with a sponge and lifted the sheets from the prince. She very gently started to sponge his tail. He stared at her. He didn't think that many people would be able to touch it, it was a strange oddity to them but Carlotta was cleaning it. Whatever she had in that bucket felt good to him. Soothing.

"What's in the bucket?" he asked as Carlotta gently guided him down so he was lying comfortably in the bed.

"Just some salt and warm water," she said as she got to the bottom of the aquatic part of his body. "And I soaked some aloe vera in there as well. That's what the young lady suggested. Carlotta managed to clean the top of his tail before lifting it up and cleaned the bottom side of it. Eric stared at her confused before she moved to his midsection.

"I'll do the top of my body, but thank you," he said as Carlotta moved the sponge and bucket closer to him. Eric felt the familiar touch of the liquid as his body seemed to crave being put back into the water. He felt a yearning to be submerged in water rather than lying in a bed in what used to be his bedroom. He froze and turned to Carlotta, "You mentioned Ariel?" he asked and Carlotta nodded. "Is she okay? Is she safe? I barely remember what happened before I woke up," he said though he didn't have many memories of that at all, clear ones anyway.

"She is safe right here, we have expanded her living arrangements and provided her with things that she has requested. I'm sure that once you are feeling better, you can go and join her," Carlotta said and Eric paused, he felt his own guilt.

"Has she been by herself whilst I've been taken care of?" he asked anxiously. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone, he never wanted her to feel lonely.

"The queen has been by her side," Carlotta told him and Eric nodded nervously, "They have been working on her gifts. There's one in particular she has been hoping to master." Eric looked at her confused before they both heard a knock on the door. Carlotta went to open it before seeing Ariel and the queen, Ariel was walking on legs. Was she human again? How had she learned that so fast? It would seem a tricky spell to manage.

As she saw Eric awake, Ariel rushed, somewhat clumsily, to the bed and sank down with tears in her eyes as she pulled Eric to her. She sobbed onto his shoulder before her legs seemed to disappear and her tail returned. The queen sighed but saw how happy the two young merfolk were. Ariel had attempted to be human but she could only hold the form for less than an hour. The one thing that she had wanted to do though was check on Eric.

At this time, their tails didn't matter. They were able to hold one another. Eric pulled her closer and Ariel felt her own tail slide against hers. "Eric," she whispered as she pushed her head into his chest. "I'm so glad that you're alive."

 **End of Chapter Seven**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Six**

Blondie 20000, MermaidRaven, Sailor Dragonball 87

 **AN:** Oh my gosh, thank you for waiting so patiently everyone. I've realized that along with my Skip Beat fics, my Disney fics are what I really love to write and so have decided to TRY to update at least two Disney fics a week. I will mainly be concentrating on my four Beauty and the Beast fics and my two Little Mermaid fics as those are the most enjoyable for me to write but might choose to do another one or two.

Main takeaway from this chapter is of course the war between human and merfolk but also the fact that Triton now believes his daughter is in love with a polyp.


	8. Chapter 8 - Part of Your World

**Chapter Eight – Part Of Your World**

Eric sighed as he looked at his mother from where he was still wrapped up in the blankets on the bed. He could move somewhat well now but that wasn't the type of well that a person would do, his tail still flopped around but he could bounce a little with it and his arms were getting stronger. He knew they worried about him returning to the water. His expression softened as she walked over to him and ruffled his hair lovingly.

"My sweet little boy," she said and Eric rolled his eyes.

"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore," he said before smiling as she wrapped her arms around him and brought him to her chest. He wrapped his arms back around her. Slowly she lifted up the blankets and put her hand to the blue tail he had, she let her fingers spread out over it. She started to let one finger run down the side of the tail before seeing Eric flinch and she immediately pulled back.

"Oh, darling, I'm sorry. Did I do something? Did I hurt you somehow? Do I need to wash my fingers, salt water right, or…what was the ratio?" she worried and Eric watched her. He had only flinched because of the image of his mother's human hand on something that most definitely was _not_ human.

"No. You're fine," Eric tried to laugh weakly. He took her hand in his own and squeezed it. "You're really not disturbed by it?" he asked and his mother hugged him again.

"Eric, you are my son. I watched you grow up. I watched you play with Max when he was a puppy. I watched you get interested in the ocean, grow up, learn how to play music. I watched all of that. I accept who you are. Now, this tail is new to me but it doesn't mean that I can't accept you. I'm sure that this tail is a sacrifice for being alive," she said and Eric couldn't really argue.

"Ariel," he said softly and with a bowed head and closed eyes, "Ariel. I love Ariel. I would want to stay with her even if it wasn't a life or death situation. Please tell me she can stay here."

"From what I've heard, her own father doesn't approve of some skills that she learned. I don't want her to be caught up in what your father might do but I am his wife, I am his queen. As little support as I give to this feud between him and Ariel's father, I have to still show that I am at his side," the queen said and Eric blinked at her. He had been a polyp when all that had been happening. Although he knew that his body had taken on that form, it was as if he had been on drugs at the time. The world was a mystery and he had a blurry perspective of what had happened.

"The war…" his mother said and Eric stared at her. War?

"War?" Eric asked before shaking his head. "I don't agree with that," he told her and the queen sighed.

"Eric, I heard that you were turned into a worm, the fact that someone feels the power to do that to you. It was Ariel who saved you. He just left. Ariel told me that you took on that giant sea witch with a boat and saved everyone. For someone to turn you into a worm when you've done what should have been their job," the queen said and Eric pushed a hand through his hair. This was becoming an even greater mess.

ArErArEr

"Careful," Eric's father told him as the merman was finally let back into the tank. He sighed as he managed to flip his tail, it felt a lot better now and he could finally be with the girl that he loved. Eric sighed as he found Ariel to swim to one side of him and Max came to the other, pushing his head against the master he loved so much. "How are you feeling? How is the water? Are you okay?" he asked and Eric smiled and nodded to his father.

"I'm good," he tried to assure the king before sinking underneath the water. He managed to swim from one side of the pool to the other with Ariel watching him and swimming alongside him. Once he returned to the surface, Ariel came next to him and cupped his cheek.

"You've taken to the water so well," she told him in an affectionate manner. "Did you just see the skill with which you swam?" she asked and Eric took her hand, kissing the back of it.

"The toughest thing would be to be without you," he told her and Ariel sniffed, wrapping her arms around her merman. She felt so grateful that even with all the terrible things that had happened, Eric was still loyal and loving when it came to her. "Ariel, your father maybe if I go to him and expl-" Ariel slowly placed her hand over his mouth. She didn't want to talk about her father. Although she was still angry at him, she didn't want there to be a feud. She just wanted peace between the merfolk and the humans.

"Eric," the king said as he knelt down next to the pool so that the merfolk could talk with him. "I will be having some members of my council come here today. I will try to steer them away from the pool area as much as I can. I know that you don't want to be seen."

"Won't they have to see me eventually?" Eric asked him. The king paused.

"I just think that it's for the best that they don't see you like this. There will be a lot that is needed to be discussed," the king said and Eric opened his mouth to protest but Ariel squeezed his wrist and shook her head. It was at this time that they heard a lot of noise from the doorway and the king stood to see his guards with a number of men. His eyes widened as he tried to stand in front of Eric, stretching his arms out.

"What is the meaning of this!?" he ordered and the guards grabbed two of the men but the king knew the others. He had declared that there be a stop to fishing immediately and that he would give important news soon. His kingdom relied on the fish that were caught and sold and the restaurants which cooked them. These men were the heads of the injury and although he had said that he would cover the loss of income, they were still upset about their livelihood being stopped without a given explanation.

"Your Majesty, I hate to intrude on you like this," one of the men, the captain who was of the finest fishing company in the country said, "but to place an order for us to not fish anymore. There is so many fish out there ready to be caught and not only does this slow down my business but all of your economy. I must insist that you lift the bans on fishing."

The king sighed and Eric directed Ariel to swim to the bottom of the pool and although she tried to tug Eric down, he remained close to his father. Eric next gestured for Max before swimming to the side of the pool.

"He isn't doing it to -" Eric tried to reason with the captain but the king tried to guard his son.

"Eric, no…stop!" he commanded and Eric looked at him.

"Dad, you love your country. You care about the marketplace and the economy," Eric bowed his head before hearing one man speaking, one of the lower level men from the company that was being held by a guard.

"Prince Eric, I haven't seen you since that horrible nightmare," he said, "I saw something gigantic from the ocean. Everyone told me that I was dreaming. That was a nightmare the kind of which I don't think I'd recover from," the man said and Eric frowned.

"Sadly, things like that come at a price," Eric told him before pushing himself out of the pool and letting his tail be seen. The man who had just spoken and one of the other fishermen were smiling in interest but the other three men looked disgusted. Eric saw the captain spit on him and a guard stepped forward. The king turned to his son but Eric shook his head and the king gave the guard the signal to stand down.

"The reason I am not allowed to fish is because of this freak!? This abomination to the natural world! This -"

"Careful," the king said as he lifted his chin. "He is still your prince, still my son. My son is a merman." Eric looked at his dad seeing the support in his eyes but also seeing the anger that he was feeling at Eric being mistreated in this kind of manner. The king sighed before turning to the guards. "I will allow the fishing ban to be lifted since it is to help the economy however, I do not treat those who cause or intend to cause my own child harm kindly. You have been warned," he said and the captain spat at Eric again before leaving.

Eric managed to get back into the water. He shivered as he thought about how they had treated him as a freak but he was to them. He had often been enchanted by the stories of mermaids and things that existed under the ocean but others were not nearly as open mined as he was. Eric turned to his father. "I'm sorry for -"

"Don't apologize, Eric," the king said. "They should know that you are royalty by birth. I wish there was somewhere safer you could go but with that scoundrel Triton ruling, I don't know if I trust anyone, even merfolk, to keep you safe. I'll make sure they bow down to you again."

Eric sighed. He knew that his father accepted him but was scared for his safety. That seemed to be the problem with Triton too, scared for Ariel's sake. Peace would have been the best option but somehow it didn't feel as if that would be an easy choice to make.

 **End of Chapter Eight**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Seven

Blondie20000, MermaidRaven, Sailor Dragonball 87


	9. Chapter 9 - Get Some Answers

**Chapter Nine – Get Some Answers**

So, neither land nor sea wanted him. He had always lived on the land and spent time on a boat so he was a seaman but someone who knew how to live on top of soil or sand or wood. Until he had come the closest he could have ever come to dying, the land was all he knew. That was when he was rewarded with being turned into a merman but something had gone wrong and he had been cast away from that society.

His parents wanted him but these other men, they looked at him as if he were a freak. He could no longer return to the land that he knew. He didn't know how to survive but being in the palace might be the worst thing for him. He turned to the young princess and smiled to her. His role now was to take care of her and protect her. That was the only thing he knew _how_ to do.

"Do you think that your father would accept you back into the kingdom with these new powers?" he asked referring to the dark magical abilities which the redhead now possessed. "Your sisters. They would have to take care of you," he told her and Ariel paused.

"My father would most likely take me back but he wouldn't take _you_. I'm not going without you, Eric. I don't want to live without you." Ariel protested and Eric watched her lovingly. No. It was because he loved her so much that he needed to make her realize that this was the best alternative.

"Ariel," he said slowly as he kissed her lips and pushed her hair back. "My heart will always be with you but if there is a war and I hope that's not the case but if there _is_ a war…I want you to be protected."

Ariel shook her head in protest. In her eyes they were in this together. Yes, Eric had been born a human and she loved the human world. She wanted for them both to be human but that wasn't how life worked and until she had control of her powers then she couldn't give them that option. "I don't want to leave you," she said as he pressed their foreheads together.

"There is a place there where you can return to," he told her and Ariel pulled back to see his weak and pained expression. "You will be safe. Please don't worry about me. If possible, could you take Max with you?"

Ariel's back straightened immediately as she heard that. She looked at Eric knowing that there was something more serious happening within him. She slowly breathed in and out of her gills. "No. We are going to stay together. I mean, I was told when I was a little kid that humans would do terrible things to merfolk but there has to be good in them. I want to stay with you. I left everything else behind."

Eric looked down sadly, "There is no getting your father to forgive me?" he asked hopefully and Ariel bit her top lip. She could always ask him. It might separate them for a bit but she doubted that her father would turn her away. Still, leaving Eric here by himself even temporarily was heartbreaking. He hadn't grown up as a merman and to do so alone even with Max.

"If Daddy says that you _can_ come back, can you try to get your father to agree to work _together_ with the ocean?" she asked and Eric nodded. "I think that we both need to work on changes," she said as she felt sad that there would be compromises still to be fought about. She turned to Eric and threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately.

"I will be back as soon as I can," she told him before he smiled, passion in his eyes.

"I love you, Ariel. You will always have my heart," he told her and Ariel nodded.

"I love you too, Eric. You have my heart too," she told him before swimming off. Eric sighed, he wished that he could go after her. What he needed to do was talk to his father. Maybe getting moved from the pool would be good for them to talk. They _needed_ to talk.

ArErArEr

Eric turned towards his father as he stayed in the cold box next to him. This was a box that people would put fish in when they were selling them, it was meant to hold enough water for larger fish, perfect for a merman. "I didn't mean for this," he said and his father nodded.

"I'm having someone design something for you," he said and Eric frowned. He wasn't sure what to make of that. If his father wanted him to fight against the merfolk then…couldn't he see that his new condition made that hard for him. "We can have a movable chair for your tail, some way so you can move on land or we can have a doctor analyze you and possibly get it cut off."

Eric choked at that and started to cough so painfully that Max had come over to check on him. Eric wrapped his arms around the merdog.

"Can we not have me cut up for lunch?" he asked before putting a hand to where his tail joined with his midsection, "This is fused. It's one body part. Talking about cutting off my tail is like performing that magic trick where you saw the woman in half," he said and Eric's father frowned.

"So, the pain would be unbearable?" he asked trying to clarify and Eric choked.

"I'm not an expert on merfolk anatomy, Father, but I'm definitely certain that when I was transformed, my body changed into merfolk anatomy. I don't know where my body parts are any longer, my lungs and heart and kidneys. I also don't know how much exposure would be good for our family. I was thinking that someone else could become the heir to the throne. Uncle Augustine, perhaps?" he suggested and the king sighed.

"Hopefully there will be a long time to think of this heir business," the king frowned and Eric sighed before nodding. Hopefully there was someone who could lead if there was this hatred towards the merworld.

"I think that maybe I belong there," Eric said as Max licked his cheek.

The king turned to him horrified. "They tried to murder you for a reason that I can't make sense of and I'm not sure that you do either. You should have had at least one year where you were allowed to make mistakes because you knew as much as an infant and you can't sentence an infant to death when he doesn't have the capacity to understand what he has done wrong."

"They thought that I was unsafe, if I…"

The king stared at Eric as he attempted to argue. He was saying that they had a right to just expect him to perform perfectly. Mistakes were to be made but unless Eric had specifically been told the rules that he had broken whilst he still had time to change his actions, then he was innocent. He would have allowed the same conditions for a merfolk who wanted to live upon land.

"They had no right to do that to you. You are my son and I almost lost you," he said and Eric sighed. He looked away not knowing how to argue his case. Yes, Triton seemed to be unreasonable and Eric really did want to please him but being in a war upon the ocean.

"I wish that we could at least attempt a compromise before anyone gets hurt," he said and the king bowed his head.

"I might have become over-protective and lost my temper," he admitted. "Hopefully things are not too late to at least call for a cease fire but I will not allow for that man to turn you into that worm again. You are to live a decent life. That is my top priority, anything other than that is up for discussion."

Eric took a deep breath in, "May I go down to the pool?" he asked and the king nodded. He walked over to Eric and hoisted him up in his arms thinking of how he had held Eric as a baby. His tail didn't matter. Apparently Eric had been a hero in all accounts of the word and this was the way to save him. As the king got to the pool and found that Grimsby had followed him with Max, they were shocked to see the bearded king of Atlantica in the pool.

Protectively, the king pulled Eric towards him and looked around. "Is this an ambush!?" he yelled to Triton. He placed Eric down in the water but further away from Triton and removed most of his clothing to jump in and tread water in front of Eric.

"I don't want to fight you," Triton said as he put his trident down. "I wanted to apologize to all who were involved the last time. You see, I am very protective of Ariel, of all of my daughters -"

"Eric is my son!" the king yelled and Eric managed to guide him back to the steps where he could sit. He looked to Grimsby who already was rushing for a pile of towels. "You claim to have parental protectiveness but you don't see it in another. Eric is _my_ son."

"I _admire_ that you still think that even with his transformation. Being patient is not one of my greatest skills," Triton said as Ariel swam over to Eric and he wrapped his arms around her. "I never wanted a war. I never wanted your son to die but in following the law."

"What is the worst that can happen if Eric returns to your kingdom?" the king said, his face showing his love for his son and his determination to make sure that he was kept safe no matter what. "I can see now that humans are cruel and I want to stop this from escalating but I will not sacrifice my son."

"I don't believe that Ariel can live within the main kingdom because of her powers, I believe that your son will discover that he shares some of these powers too. I believe that there could be a place where the two of them could live safely and be provided for but I will only do this if you help my people survive. It's you land-livers that -" Triton said and the king looked to him.

"I'll help you," he promised, "I apologize for my previous behavior and I agree to work with you on a way we can live in peace but the moment that my son is hurt, I will -"

"Deal," Triton said as he held out his hand, "Let's just agree to trying to build a bridge for both of our worlds. Let's create a union between our kingdoms," he said and the king nervously reached for his hand, he held it above Triton's for a moment.

"A place where these three can live without fear of execution," he said and Triton nodded. Hopefully this would begin a journey where they could be together and get rid of the real evil. The humans who had only seen Eric as a freak.

 **End of Chapter Nine**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **(I am actually going to be looking at the number of reviews on the latest chapter when planning the order for fic updates so please review if you do want to see more (seriously some fics have like 400 hits and zero reviews which tells me nothing))**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eight

Blondie 20000, Guest91, MermaidRaven,


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